You take a picture of a building, and it’s just a building. Then you see a photograph of that same building in an art gallery, and it’s art. What makes it art? It’s the same building. But the artist waited for the perfect time at sunset, when the light hit the pillars just so, and the sun glanced off the metal roof, and the color of the sky echoed that of the turning leaves on the surrounding trees. Then the artist chooses a different angle, and the entire tableau takes another dimension. When you look at art, you are moved. You feel something.

You take a selfie, and it’s a portrait. But someone talented will play with light and shadow, maybe choose a black and white medium. And will speak to you and make you feel something, so that the portrait will look happy, or haunted, or sad, or intriguing. It’s still your face, but in the hands of an artist, it became art.

Similarly, a painting can be flat and inexpressive, while another painting of the same subject will make you feel something. People loved or hated the great painters of their times because they made them feel. And sometimes these feelings were uncomfortable. Hatred and guilt are strong feelings. Picasso had many enemies before being recognized as a genius. True art brings emotion to the person experiencing it.

Degas

Picasso

Gauguin

A movie documentary can be informative without emotion. But an artist will make that documentary poignant and get the audience to stand up and cheer and clap at the end. A fictional movie will use music to set the mood, and sounds and special effects to make the audience feel anticipation, fear, love, victory, etc.

And so it is with a novel. It can be a series of actions from characters in a setting, or it can be a true experience for the reader. We are painting with words, expressing emotions to make the reader feel, and our novels become a work of art.

So the secret for a writer is to feel deeply. Only then can we use words to make the reader feel and care about our characters and our stories. But like with any art, there is also a technique, like there is for painters, photographers and film makers. And it takes practice to master the technique. The secret to get the feelings on the page is in the details. A description will fall flat if it doesn’t include visual as well as other important sensory details. Smells, sounds, touch, taste, and visual effects, as well as the physical sensations experienced by the character in the story will evoke the same reactions and awaken the same feelings in the reader.

After reading ASHES FOR THE ELEPHANT GOD, readers told me they could feel the heat, smell the flowers and the spices, and hear the music, and taste the foods of India. They felt transported to another place, another time, another culture. It’s because I brought my own love of India to the pages of the book, and because I felt it, I was able to bring it to life in the writing and make the reader feel it as well.

As far as I can remember, I loved cats… and writing. I wrote poetry in first grade, around the same time I brought my first stray home. At the time my father didn’t allow us to have pets, but since then I adopted many cats… and I kept writing. I still write, and I still have a cat.

Some say writers like cats because they are non-intrusive. I beg to differ. Even right now, my cat is begging for me to stop this computer nonsense and pay attention to her.

Others say cats are the perfect writer’s pet because they sleep a lot and they like daily routines. That part is true. There is a time for me to write. That’s when my cat sleeps. Right now, it’s TV time and I’m still writing, that’s why my cat is so upset.

Cats are independent, and the epitome of indifference. That part is usually true, unless it’s tuna time, or close to tuna time, or two hours before tuna time, or three in the morning and she decides it’s tuna time.

My cat's favorite camouflage blanket

So, if cats are just as demanding as other pets, why is it so many famous writers had cats and adored them? My rational opinion could be that cats are quieter than dogs and don’t need to be walked, but I believe it goes much deeper than that. Cats are intriguing, challenging, smart, and obstinate. They tickle our muse. And if I have a question, I can always ask my cat. She will give me the right answer.

Here are some other reasons why great writers loved their cats:

"A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not." Ernest Hemmingway

"I write so much because my cat sits on my lap. She purrs so I don't want to get up. She's so much more calming than my husband." Joyce Carol Oates

"That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you." Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

"I simply can't resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know, outside of the girl you love, of course." Mark Twain

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." Edgar Alan Poe

"When a Cat adopts you there is nothing to be done about it except to put up with it and wait until the wind changes." T.S. Elliot

There is a cat in my latest novel, a telepathic cougar, the companion of my kick-butt bounty hunter heroine. If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up and enjoy.

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry to this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a place of wonders, adventure and excitement...

"I don’t know how Vijaya continues to write books that both aggravate you to no end and keep you on the edge of your seat. You can’t put it down until you know what happens next. Before you know what happened, you are at the end of the book and wondering how you got there so fast. It is hard not to get caught up in and lost in the imagery created on the pages of the locations. You can even smell what is in the air. Yet another page turner I couldn’t put down! Thank you Vijaya for keeping me entertained." 5-stars - Beverley J. Malloy on amazon

Yes, publishing companies do close their door, and more
often than you think. Here are some of my sci-fi romance titles recently republished with new covers, after their previous publishers who closed their doors.

You have slaved for months if not years writing the perfect
book. After pitching it at conferences and being rejected by many agents and
publishers, you are finally accepted by a small publisher. They love your book.
They want to publish it. After doing your happy dance, you sign on the dotted
line, and soon you will be a legitimate published author. Congratulations. Now,
you are a professional author, with deadlines, edits, and promotion strategies.
Finally, friends and family will take you seriously as an author. You are on
your way.

Small publishers are wonderful, and I love them. They take
chances with mixed genres, like sci-fi romance and medieval fantasy romance.
They provide the same services as a large publisher with editors, cover
designers, some marketing… and they get your books out in the world, in all
formats, on all retail sites, and in print… although the print is sometime on
demand.

It means that they are ecologically responsible, but most likely, your
local bookstore will refuse to order that book for its shelves… because most
print on demand books are non-returnable, and chain bookstores refuse to stock
them. They still operate on the newsstand magazine model, where what didn’t
sell that week or that month goes straight back to the publisher.

Never mind the naysayers. You are happily published. You
love your cover, the book does sell copies in the first month. Your social
media friends are buying it. You had a successful book signing in an
independent (or second hand) bookstore, and you are writing the sequel. You are
living the dream.

I forgot to tell you, the weakness of small publishers is
that they are small, usually operated by a handful of people, but owned only by
one or two of them, who are in charge and oversee the entire operation. Without
them, the company cannot survive.

As you all know, life has a way of throwing off the best
laid plans. Even in a large publishing company, if your editor goes on
maternity leave and decides to stay home and raise her child, you may not get
along with your new editor. He/she may not like your book as much or have a
different idea of what your characters should be. He/she might request changes that
will make you cringe. Unfortunately, you are locked into a contract, and your
only option is to grin and bear it.

But when the main operator of a small publishing company has
a life-altering accident (like it happened for Sapphire Blue Publishing after a
few years) or is diagnosed with a serious health problem and can no longer
handle the stress of running the company, (like it happened last month with
Desert Breeze Publishing after a decade of success) the small publisher will
have to close their doors.

That will make you an orphaned author, with orphaned books most
established publisher will shun, because they are last year’s chutney… Of
course, you get your rights back. Which means you could self-publish your
orphans, or, if you are lucky, find another small publisher who will love them,
like it happened for me with BWL Publishing. It’s all part of an author’s life.

If you lose your publisher, don’t despair. Keep writing.
Nothing like a new release to lift your spirits. And this new publisher of
yours might like your new book so much, they’ll ask you if you have anything
else ready to go. Then you can pitch them your little orphans.

I was lucky that way. White Tiger was published several
times by different publishers. The last one was Desert Breeze, where it became
a series. But this book is in its twilight, and next time, I’ll republish that series
myself, just to keep it available online. Aren't the covers stunning?

Two of my Desert Breeze sci-fi orphans, however, will be
republished next year by BWL Publishing, for whom I’m currently writing the new Azura Chronicles sci-fi series. These two, set on a space station, will be
a spin off from the Azura Chronicles. Of course, I’ll be rewriting these
orphans to fit in the new universe I created for BWL Publishing, then add new
titles to both series.

It sounds like a lot of work, but I think authors like
challenges. I’m excited about re-writing these. Sci-fi was my first love and
creating new universes is my thing. I also like kick-butt heroines, brave
heroes, and cats. So, get ready for more sci-fi romance coming from Vijaya
Schartz in 2019 and 2020.

In the meantime, you can read ANGEL MINE, Book 1 of the Azura Chronicles.

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry to this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a place of wonders, adventure and excitement...

"I don’t know how Vijaya continues to write books that both aggravate you to no end and keep you on the edge of your seat. You can’t put it down until you know what happens next. Before you know what happened, you are at the end of the book and wondering how you got there so fast. It is hard not to get caught up in and lost in the imagery created on the pages of the locations. You can even smell what is in the air. Yet another page turner I couldn’t put down! Thank you Vijaya for keeping me entertained." 5-stars - Beverley J. Malloy on amazon

Imagine debarking from a spaceship into a vast array of wide corridors like an airport terminal. Except that the entryway seals are hermetic, and the side windows show black space, with spaceships anchored to the giant circular wheel encircling the space station, like the rings of a planet. The station floats in space, orbiting a small planet. Or it could be in the wide orbit of a faraway sun. The station, built and expanded over centuries, would be made of many different parts, some older, others brand new. Size is irrelevant in space. It can be as big as needed.

This is how I imagine Byzantium-5, the space station featured in the Azura Chronicles

First, you would notice the lighter gravity. You might even get sick. If you spent much time in space, it would be familiar, but if you came from a heavy world like Earth, the change would be noticeable. You would probably grow taller over time, as gravity doesn't pull you down as much, but your bones might grow lighter and weaker.

Hundreds of miles of corridors in a wide circle around the core. Fortunately, there are also levitating cars and carts to carry the luggage.

Hundreds of thousands could live there. Even millions. They would have room for growing food without dirt in hydroponic tubs, they would manufacture artificial meat in labs, without raising animals, and they would make their own water and their own oxygen. The complex would function like a large city, not bound by the planetary cycles of day and night... although they may want to create a semblance of circadian rhythm for the comfort of their visitors and inhabitants.

Parks and gardens would provide oxygen and relaxation

The station could be a port for trading goods, with commercial docks and cranes to load and unload large containers from ships to dock and vice-versa. It could also be a pleasure destination. I imagine a Vegas type of atmosphere, with entertainment, gambling dens, spas, shopping, restaurants, and all the luxuries we imagine in the future, like cyber-pleasures... the legal and the illegal kinds. I personally like the idea of sex robots.

Here the scale is misleading. The craft would be tiny as it approaches the behemoth of a station

By the time we get to that level of sophistication, we may have made contact with other space-faring races, and that might bring diversity (and possibly discrimination) into our advanced society.Such a place would need tight security. Space is not the safest place. There would be corruption, gangs, drugs, terrorism, and individuals striving for control. Delinquents would be detained in jail-like areas. There might even be a prison, but who needs metal bars when a clear titanium pane can do the trick?

Glass is not resistant enough and too breakable for these windows. I imagine they are made of transparent metal

At the core of the structure, would be a reactor to generate the energy needed to keep that city in space running smoothly. As we know, reactors can become unstable. More fodder for future stories.But what would happen to those forgotten by the system? Orphans growing on the fringe of the affluent society, escapees, and stowaways might be reduced to hide in disaffected parts of the station and form their own society. They might steal in order to survive. So far from central power (and from the overseeing authority), such a community might recourse to shortcuts, unethical practices, and oppression of the underprivileged.

Although this is a futuristic design for a train station, I imagine the style would fit a space station as well

As you see, the world of tomorrow may not be so different from ours, because no matter how many advances we make in science, health, and space exploration, human nature doesn't change that much.It's all about survival, and the balance of good and evil. And that controversy will not soon be resolved, so there is plenty of fodder for upcoming science fiction novels.In the meantime, you can learn more about life on a space station by reading the Azura Chronicles. Book 1, ANGEL MINE is already out and Fianna, my heroine, is a bounty hunter. But she was born on the Byzantium-5 space station, orphaned as a teenager, then survived with the protection of a violent gang, the Dragon Squad.

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry to this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a place of wonders, adventure and excitement.

As I'm
actively writing the second book in the Azura Chronicles sci-fi romance
series, I did not abandon research. On the contrary, even after creating
an entire world, research is my main focus. Not only it helps me find
new elements and threads to explore in the new story, but it opens so
many possibilities...

Of
course, I do enjoy the research. Who wouldn't like bingeing on the
latest sci-fi movies and series (thank goodness for cable), reading
great books and watching interviews of scientists on the advances of
cybernetics, and the psychological consequences threatening future
societies?

I
love my job. Especially when the creative juices take me in unexpected
directions. Book 2 will also have a big cat of a very different kind. I
love researching cats.

Cybernetics,
will you ask? Maybe I already said too much. But it's the future, after
all, and I can't wait to pit angels against robots. This world of Azura
also has a predatory fauna. Which side will the nightcrawlers take? And
what role will my new kick-butt heroine and her brave hero take in this
new adventure?

But
I already said too much. As I work on Book 2, you are welcome to enjoy
Book 1, ANGEL MINE. Each book is a standalone, but if you are like me,
you'll want to know what happened before in this world of Azura.ANGEL MINE: 5-starsfind it on amazon

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry
to this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But
as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech
weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in
five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has
never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely
beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He
always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the
interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and
suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a
place of wonders, adventure and excitement.

"I
don’t know how Vijaya continues to write books that both
aggravate you to no end and keep you on the edge of your
seat. You can’t put it down until you know what happens
next. Before you know what happened, you are at the end of
the book and wondering how you got there so fast. It is hard
not to get caught up in and lost in the imagery created on
the pages of the locations. You can even smell what is in
the air. Yet another page turner I couldn’t put down! Thank
you Vijaya for keeping me entertained." 5-stars -
Beverley J. Malloy on amazon

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry
to this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But
as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech
weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in
five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has
never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely
beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He
always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the
interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and
suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a
place of wonders, adventure and excitement.Fianna's instincts
tell her someone is watching. Sheba, her telepathic feline partner,
doesn't seem worried... yet, something on Azura isn't quite right.

MORE ABOUT THIS NEW SERIES:

There is a planet out in
the universe, emitting a strange turquoise glow. A long time ago Azura
refused to join the Trade Alliance. The Alliance sent their military fleet
to destroy the Azurans, but their powerful supernatural abilities spread
fear even among the fiercest Devil Dogs. Since then, records have been erased.
Rumors and legends all but died. Azura is strictly forbidden, and the daring few
who ventured beyond the warning space beacons were never seen again...

What are angels? Really... Since they do not come from this earth, it's safe to say they are extraterrestrials... or are they?

Different
versions of the Christian Bible name a few, but other ancient sacred
texts, like the Zohar, the Torah, the Koran, and the Vedas have long
lists of angels who descended to earth to deliver messages, warnings, to
teach, test, or punish man.

Angels
are legion, as I discovered in my intensive research. Some like Gabriel
and Raphael are messengers (which is the root meaning of the word
angel). Others like Michael who chased Adam and Eve out of Eden with a
flaming sword and destroyed the serpent, and Uriel the Avenging Angel,
are wielding deadly weapons.

But
there is also Lucifer, the brightest angel and mutinous leader cast
away for wanting to impart advanced knowledge to the lowly human race.
The records also list over a thousand good angels, fallen angels and
demons.

The
sex of angels has long been debated. Even as the tower of Babel fell,
that was the topic of conversation among the wisemen of the time.

As
for the Watchers, sent to watch over mankind, they were the ones who
found the daughters of man beautiful and took them for wives... They
mated with human females, producing the Nephilim, and triggering God's
wrath in the form of the great flood, to destroy their shameful
progeny... although a few survived. The giant Goliath is believed to be
descended from such hybrids.

As
I imagine a celestial power ruling the universe, it would have to be
organized. My research indicated that there is a very strict hierarchy
among angels, like in a military order. There are archons in charge of
entire planets, archangels, and many categories of angels whose
descriptions vary. Some have multiple pairs of wings, while others look
completely human. Others yet have multiple heads, animal heads, and
others yet look more like machines with turning wheels.

The
two angels who warned Loth and his family of the imminent destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah looked like perfect human beings (no wings) and
the depraved denizens of the city found them so beautiful they wanted to
buy them for sexual pleasure.

Where
do all these angels reside? The universe is a big place and a spaceship
would not be enough to contain entire legions. I would surmise there
are planets out there, inhabited and ruled by angels.

For
the sake of my new series coming out this month, AZURA
CHRONICLES, one of these planets is AZURA. And what happens there is
mysterious indeed. In book One, ANGEL MINE, my heroine, Fianna is a
bounty hunter pursuing her mark, a convicted multiple murderer who just
escaped from a high security penitentiary on a space station.

What in the
frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry to
this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits...
badly. But as if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none
of her high-tech weapons work. She'll have to go native, after
the most wanted felon in five galaxies. It's not just her job.
It's personal.

Acielon has never seen an outworlder like this fascinating
female, strangely beautiful, and fierce, like the feline
predator loping at her side. He always dreamed of exploring the
universe, despite the legends... and the interdiction. Is it
truly a hellish place of violence, lies and suffering? If it
spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a place of
wonders, adventure and excitement...

I
would love to write a story where the problems we tackle today are
faraway in the past, where children are safe, where women are equal to
men in every way, where race or species do not matter, where people live
long lives free of diseases, where everyone feels appreciated and
loved, where society takes care of all its members regardless of age or
status, where greed is irrelevant, where power has no meaning.

Keep dreaming. We are not angels.

Even
as I envision the far future, I cannot imagine that human nature will
evolve that much. Changing the laws for the better, yes. Treating
everyone fairly or else, yes. Increasing longevity and good health, yes.
So, what's the problem?

Have you noticed that when a refined
society falls, it only takes days for it to reverse to bloodshed,
savagery and oppression? Take away our power grid, food distribution,
and communication systems, and we reverse to bloody savages fighting
over the last water bottles and cans of tuna.

I like to think I
would be one of the good guys, helping those who cannot help themselves.
But I cannot condemn the mother picking up a gun to feed and protect
her family, the older brother killing human predators to protect a
younger sister. Then eventually, small groups get together around a
leader to defend and organize themselves. New towns form, and new
nations are born. Eventually they war against each other, then unite
again... until a natural or man-made disaster sets them back to the dark
ages.

I
suspect the future will not be any different. Our very nature is
emotional, volatile, ruled by self-preservation. As long as we carry
these aggressive genes necessary for survival, we will fight. When we
lose these genes, the human race will wither and disappear. So as long
as there is a human race, we will fight for survival. The means of
destruction and the weapons may change, but the motivations will remain
the same.

This is why I enjoy science fiction so much. It's a
magnifying glass to experiment with new ideas and build new worlds, and
observe the far-reaching consequences of our actions. It's a learning
tool to guide us into a better future. It may help us make better
decisions.

In the meantime, I just finished some edits on the
first book in a new romantic sci-fi series: ANGEL MINE. It's set on
Azura, a planet populated by angels, an ideal society at odds with the
harsh reality of intergalactic greed and domination... but no society is
ever ideal. The heroine is a bad ass bounty hunter, and the hero is an
angel... what else?

ANGEL MINE is set for release in May 2018 from BWL Publishing. Here is the blurb:

What
in the frozen hells of Laxxar prompted Fianna to pursue her quarry to
this forbidden blue planet? Well, she needs the credits... badly. But as
if crashing in the jungle wasn't bad enough, none of her high-tech
weapons work. She'll have to go native, after the most wanted felon in
five galaxies. It's not just her job. It's personal.

Acielon has
never seen an outworlder like this fascinating female, strangely
beautiful, and fierce, like the feline predator loping at her side. He
always dreamed of exploring the universe, despite the legends... and the
interdiction. Is it truly a hellish place of violence, lies and
suffering? If it spawned this intriguing creature, it must also be a
place of wonders, adventure and excitement.

We
rely on technology so much these days, that the simplest hick-ups can
ruin a perfectly good day... or week... and even a life. As a science
fiction writer (among other genres) I love futuristic technology, but it
sometimes gives me nightmares.I
remember a long time ago someone saying "If cars were as unreliable as
computers, no one would drive." Well, now computers drive our cars as
well. Last summer, a Tesla on autopilot ran full speed into a semi,
killing the non-driver. As much as we would like to think technology is
perfect, it isn't. And Uber is implementing driverless cars!

We
have learned to accept these glitches as growing pains. And like
everyone else, I did, gracefully... until a few days ago, when Firefox
updated their browser.... and my personal nightmare started.

"Faster
and more powerful" said the update. All of a sudden, my passwords were
not recognized... most of them anyway. I am still locked out of my main
email account with Cox.... and cut out from my business mail. I can't
access my account at Amazon. Facebook still works, and so does my online
banking, but I am scared to even try to access many of my regular
writers and readers sites, for fear of the nightmare.

I
tried to contact Cox, of course, but their automatic phone butler keeps
you listening to music for hours and never lets you speak to an
operator.

"Just
reset your password," says one site... but in order to do so, they must
accept my old password, which they don't. Then they say they'll send
you an email to confirm and you will have to acknowledge the change by
clicking the link they emailed you, before you can log in again.... but I
can't access my email! Grrrrr.

Although
usually comfortable navigating cyberspace, I suddenly feel inadequate.
Am I getting old? Am I wrong to expect updates not to mess up my
carefully organized life? Or is there something more sinister going on?Maybe
there is a story in here... every life experience can be fodder for
popular fiction, right? Imagine a world where glitchy computers make
life and death decisions... Or is it already happening, and we are not
aware of it?There
is a big difference between technology and progress. Although we are
making great leaps in technology, progress lags behind, since progress
is the evolution of the human mind and the human condition. I think
mutual respect, quality of work and life, and caring customer service
are part of progress, but these seem to be sorely lacking in today's
society.Sorry for venting here, but I was wondering if you had similar experiences with glitchy technology.